Browsing by Subject "traffic"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Evaluation of fine fescues as alternative golf course fairway turfgrasses
    (2016-05) Reiter, Maggie
    In the cool-season region of the United States, golf courses traditionally grow high-input grasses like creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera, L.), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis, L.), annual bluegrass (Poa annua, L.), and/or perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne, L.) on fairways. Grass species exist that are more sustainable than those currently being used for golf course fairway turf. Low-input fine fescue species could be able to withstand the pressure from typical turfgrass disease and stresses while producing acceptable turf and excellent playing quality with fewer overall inputs of pesticides, water, and fertilizer. Little research has been conducted on these species in a fairway setting, so golf course managers have been hesitant to use fine fescues. This project conducted research to overcome these barriers and thus begin using low-input fine fescues for fairways on golf courses throughout the northern United States. The objective of the first experiment was to evaluate fine fescue species’ performance as fairway turfgrass under an acute drought. Field trials were conducted at two locations under a rainout shelter. Mixtures that contained large proportions (>33%) of Chewings fescue [Festuca rubra ssp. commutata (Thuill.) Nyman] had the greatest green cover at the end of the drought period. The marginal effects summary revealed no significant differences among species success after drought. Overall, this study found that fine fescues can provide acceptable turf quality and playability on golf course fairways resulting in lower irrigation inputs. The objectives of the second project were to determine the effect of the plant growth regulator trinexapac-ethyl on the performance of fine fescue mixtures when managed as a golf course fairway and identify fine fescue mixtures that perform well under traffic stress. The marginal effects summaries showed hard fescue [Festuca trachyphylla (Hack.) Krajina], slender creeping red fescue [Festuca rubra ssp. litoralis (G.F.W. Meyer) Auquier.], strong creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra ssp. rubra Gaudin), and sheep fescue (Festuca ovina, L.) had the greatest component effect on visual turfgrass quality, and were all statistically similar. Strong creeping red fescue was more susceptible to dollar spot disease (caused by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa F.T. Bennett) than the other species. The third experiment evaluated fine fescue species and mixtures for snow mold resistance on three golf courses in Minnesota. In the spring of 2013, 2014, and 2015, there was no damage from snow mold. These grasses may be resistant to the pathogens; however, our observations in higher cut fine fescue suggest that snow mold and snow scald diseases can be a problem in these grasses. Although the objective to determine if fine fescue fairways require fungicides at currently-recommended application rates to survive winter snow mold pressure was not accomplished, turf quality data taken over 2 years was analyzed. Mixtures maintained significantly better turfgrass quality than any of the five species alone.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Proactive Traffic Safety Improvements
    (2023) Christianson, Mark; Coll, Sebastian; Hoge, Jenna; Miller, Elias
    The City of Minneapolis has adopted a Vision Zero goal, committing to eliminate traffic deaths and severe injuries on streets in Minneapolis by 2027. City officials have focused on seven specific street modifications that can encourage motorists to drive more slowly and increase their ability to see pedestrians, thus reducing the likelihood of a crash. These treatments are safe lane conversions, pedestrian safety islands, curb extensions, curb protected bike lanes, bikeway medians, raised crossings, and hardened centerlines. Using criteria from the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, and Minnesota’s Department of Transportation, the Proactive Traffic Safety Treatments Tool (“the tool”) identifies which treatments are feasible across intersections and streets on Minneapolis’s most crash-prone streets. The tool assigns relevant criteria to each treatment and then imports existing street data to nearly automatically assess the feasibility of each treatment in each location (1,940 target segments total). While some data points - such as the presence of buildings or businesses that generate pedestrian traffic (e.g. schools) - require human judgment to identify, and final design decisions require engineering and planning expertise, the tool automatizes portions of the planning process. In addition to making the decision-making process more efficient, the tool also reduces potential friction between staff, residents, and other agencies. This report details the benefits of and criteria for each of the proposed traffic safety treatments; the tool’s development, characteristics, use, and limitations; and models the tool’s use for a sample of Minneapolis streets.